Mission
The Office of Student Media provides quality, independent news and commentary to the UT community in an accurate, timely and unbiased manner. It serves as an inclusive, professional learning environment where student journalists can gain first-hand experience through various mediums of communication. It publishes content that is exclusively conceptualized, created, edited and published by students. Student Media advocates for the continued freedom of the student press and serves as an example of journalistic integrity.
Goals and Objectives
Coordinate and support quality publishing operations for The Daily Beacon, Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine, Honey Magazine and their websites.
- Develop a comprehensive publishing program for each publication, which respects student and printer needs, requirements and schedules
- Foster development of orientation and training for student staff to maximize student experience and assure maintenance of publication standards and traditions,
- Assess and maintain quality publications and student contributions through participation in local, regional and national collegiate competitions and campus recognition programs.
- Maintain a qualified full-time staff to assure knowledgeable, professional advising and training for the student staff and leaders of the publications
Provide a positive, professionally-oriented environment for student co-curricular learning which will foster student exploration of internships and career opportunities.
- Provide students hands-on, career preparation in a realistic environment offering experience with current media technology and computer applications.
- Offer experiential learning and leadership development opportunity through participation in journalistic and creative writing and editing, photography, graphic design, videography, advertising creation and sales, computer applications, marketing, and business communications.
- Foster teamwork, professionalism and ethical practice in communications by staff and students.
- Foster positive relationships of the student leadership with the Student Publications Board and the campus community.
- Support participation of students in collegiate media seminars and professional conferences and submission of quality entries to regional and national competitions.
- Collaborate with related academic units and maintain a resource of information about student internship and job opportunities in media and professional communications practice.
Assure quality programs through continuing assessment and improvement of departmental programs and resources.
- Assess needs and experience of student participants.
- Evaluate current practices in light of assessment findings and make needed change for achieving goals and making improvements.
Recruit and encourage promising, dedicated and diverse students.
- Maintain visibility as an inclusive program within the general student body and within specific groups by inviting participation of any interested student as well as minority, adult, disabled, international and other non-traditional student participant.
- Communicate recruitment messages through campus departments and student organizations serving minority, international, adult, non-traditional and disabled student populations.
- Advertise in the daily newspaper, make classroom presentations, and publicize across campus the opportunities for student involvement and job opportunities with the publications.
- Use technology to enhance the application process for participation in the publications.
- Conduct and publicize an annual student publications recruitment fair.
- Maintain information about internships and career opportunities related to the publications experience.
Maintain and enhance long-standing cooperation with student affairs and related academic departments and seek new cooperative arrangements that benefit student learning and development
- Support and participate in Dean of Students and Student Life programs for the mutual benefit of student learning and development through co-curricular experience.
- Support and participate in University admissions and recruitment efforts to include hosting students expressing interest in the publications.
- Participate in each session of new student orientation and other special recruitment and information fairs for prospective students and parents.
Secure and effectively manage financial and business resources and relationships to support the department.
- Plan and effectively manage the departmental budget to provide financial resources essential to support the publications programs.
- Assure adherence to business agreements and maintain quality relationships with external and internal entities providing essential services to the publications.
- Maintain and improve departmental facilities and equipment to assure a quality learning environment for students.